Ten Filipino truck drivers trapped in Iraqi insurgent territory for days have been safely extricated and are now at the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad, a Philippine official said Thursday.

The Filipino drivers will be brought back to Saudi Arabia where they are based, the Philippines News Agency quoted Philippine Middle East Special Envoy Roy Cimatu as saying.

"Their papers are now being processed before they are sent backto Saudi Arabia," Cimatu added.

The drivers were attempting to return to their Saudi-based companies when they were attacked by armed men believed to belong to the group that earlier abducted Angelo de la Cruz. No Filipino was hurt in the ambush.

They were with 30 other drivers of various nationalities who delivered supplies for the US military.

Cimatu, former Armed Forces chief of staff, had a sigh of relief upon learning the successful rescue of the 10 Filipino drivers.

Meanwhile, the Philippines was anxiously waiting to learn the fate of de la Cruz, a 46-year-old truck driver kidnapped in Iraq last week, while earlier reports said he was "alive and well."